Method of manufacture of cellophane bags



Jan. 14, 1936 w. R. HOWARD 2,027,643

METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF CELLOPHANE BAGS Filed Dec, 31, 1934' 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 14 193 W. R, HQWARD METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF CELLOPHANE BAGS Filed Dec. 51, 19,34 3 Shefcs-Sheet 2 Jan, 141-, 13. w. R. HOWAR 9 5 METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF CELLOPHANE mes Filed Dec. 51, 1934 s Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Jan. 14, 1936 f 2,027,643

' METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF CELLOPHANE BAGS William R. Howard, Washington, D. 0., assignor to U. C. T. Corporation, Washington, D. 0., a corporation of Delaware Application Decemberiil, 1934, Serial No. 759,865

4 Claims. (01. 226-53) This invention relates to improvements in a Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic, detailed view of the method and apparatus for packaging tea or such bag rotating mechanism. 1 like material, and refers specifically to the pack- Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the bag clamp aging of tea or the like in bags of water resistant, illustrating the same in clamping position.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE transparent material, such as cellophane or the Fig. 10 is a face view of the finished cellophane 5 like, and sewing said bags as a continuous operatea bag. tion. Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on line Il-H In the packaging of tea or other like material of Fig. 10.

in bags of cellophane, great difficulty has been Referring in detail to the drawings, I indicates 10 encountered due to the substantial impossibility of a roll of transparent waterproof material having 10 holding two edges of such a bag together, and perforations 50; which for purposes of description, sewing the same without having the edges buckle will be referred to ascellophane. The roll may be and slip, thus producing a large percentage of supported by standards 2. A web 3 may be conseconds or imperfect bags. tinuously drawn from roll I by means of draw rolls 15 To partially combat this tendency of'the mate- 4 which may "be driven by any suitable means 15 rial comprising the bags, it has heretofore been (not shown). After passing through the draw the practice to use an overlapping stitch. Howunit 4 web 3 may be formed in a loop 5, which, ever, this does not entirely cure the situation and as will be hereinafter more fully described, is results in a bag which has a bulky appearance adapted to compensate for the intermittent opwhich is far from being neat or attractive. eration which is performed upon the web at a 20 My present process is directed to facilitating subsequent period of travel. the handling of such bags and briefly comprises: Web 3, after forming loop 5 is passed over guide passing aweb of perforated cellophane to a formroll 6 and is carried forwardly into a guiding ing guide which creases the web longitudinally mechanism 1 which may comprise a continuous into a V shape, filling the V thus formed with a sheet disposed flat at one end as shown best at 25 predetermined quantity of tea or the like, clamp- 8 in Fig. 6, and which gradually assumes the form ing the sides of the V together and severing that of a V as shown at 9 in Fig. 7. The edges of portion of the cellophanecarrying the tea from the plate may be turned inwardly as shown at the remainder of the web, carrying the bag con- I0 inFlgs. 6 and '1, and the web 3 carried from tained tea forwardly toaset of knurling or crimproll 6 is adapted to be disposed upon the plate, 30 ing rolls which crimp oppositeedges of the bag, the edges of said web being confined beneath the sewing that edge of the bag opposite the V crease, inwardly turned flanges l0. rotating the bag through an angle of 90 and The purpose of the guide I is to transform the crimping and sewing the two opposite sides of horizontally travelling web 3 into'a Vshape, the the bag, during which latter operation a tag may angle of the V being coincident with the longi- 35 be attached to the bag. tudinal axis of the web. Although the instru- Other objects and advantages of my invention mentality utilized to thus transform the passing willbe apparent from the accompanying drawings web is described as being a plate of gradually and following detail description. changing conformation, the same may comprise a In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a'diagrammatic, side pair or series of pairs of inclined rollers which, 40 elevational view of a suitable machine for carryf urse. w ld p f the Same functifln, ing out myprocess, that 18, "8118101111 the horizontal web into a V- Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in shape- Fig 1.- I After passing from the guide 1 the central Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on portion of the that the -i 1 45 thereof is carried between a set of co-actmg driven Z S gQ Sectional View taken on rollers II which function both as draw rolls and i also to crease the central portion of the celloline 4-4 of Fig. 1.

phane web. Draw rolls Il may be driven by any 5 1s a m sectmnal View taken suitable means (not shown). However, in view 50 1me 5-5 of Fig. 1. ofthe fact that during the period when the tea Fi 6 1s a sectlonal w taken on line is deposited in the open side of the v, the web is Fig. 1. maintained stationary, the driving mechanism of Fi 7 is a sectional view taken on line of rolls l.l must be such as to intermittently carry the Fig. 1. I web forwardly. I 55 A supporting standard l2 may be positioned adjacent guide 1 and rolls II, and may be spaced a predetermined distance from a similar standard l3. Sides I4 may be secured to each of the standards l2 and I3 and may span the distance between said standards. A shaft l5 may be journalled at one end of the sides 14 and a shaft I8 may be journalled at the opposite end thereof. A pair of sprocket wheels l1 may be mounted upon shaft l5 and a similar pair of sprocket wheels l8 may be mountedupon shaft l6. An endless sprocket chain 19 may pass over each pair of sprocket wheels l1 and 18 upon each side of the standards l2 and 13, said chains being guided in grooves provided at the outer corners of. the sides I4.

A motor 28 having shaft 2| upon which may be mounted pulley 22 may'serve to drive chains 18. A belt 23 may connect pulley 22 to a cooperating pulley 24, mounted in the gear reduction mechanism 25 wherein the rotative velocity of the motor is reduced. A sprocket wheel 26 constituting the output of the gear reduction mechanism 25 may be connected by means of sprocket chain 21 to sprocket wheel 28 mounted upon shaft 5.

Each of the chains l3 may carry a plurality of spaced arms 29, each of which may be pivotally journalled in lugs 38 carried upon the links of chain l9. Arms 29 carried by chain IS on one side of the mechanism are disposed directly opposite the arms carried by the chain on the opposite side and each of said pairs of arms is capable of swinging away from or toward each other. A cam rail 3| may be mounted upon each of. the sides 48 and may follow the path traced by the endless chains l9, said cam rails projecting outwardly from said sides. Rollers 32 mounted upon the ends of arms 29 may be adapted to ride upon said cam rails and at the upper portion or upper cycle of travel of chain IS, the ends of arms 29 which carry rollers 32 may be spread away from each other. In other words, cam rails 3| paralleling the upper path of travel of chain 19 projected a greater distance from sides l4 than those portions of the cam rails which parallel the lower path of travel.

The upper ends of each of the arms 29 carry cup-shaped members 33, said members being so disposed as to have the open portion of the cups of each pair of. arms facing each other.

A hopper 34 may be positioned above the path of travel of the feeding web 3 and may be provided with a discharge 35, the discharge carrying a rotary valve 36. The hopper 34 is adapted to contain a quantity of tea or the like 31 and each quarter revolution of the rotary valve 36 is adapted to discharge a predetermined quantity of a said tea, for instance, a suflicient quantity to brew a cup or predetermined number of cups of tea. The folded web 3 may be carried forwardly beneath the discharge 35 by means of the co-act- 29 in alignment with the axis of the discharge 35 and cam rails 3| are so constructed as to move the lower ends of arms 28 outwardly when said arms' coincide in position with the longitudinal axis of the discharge 35. In this manner the endmost portion of the folded web 3is gripped by the cupshaped members 33 and the arrangement is such A continuously rotating shaft 38 may be positioned beneath rolls ll, said shaft being independently driven by suitable means (not shown). A cam 38 may be mounted upon shaft 38 and carries a lug 48. A hollow sleeve 41 may be mounted upon the lower portion of frame member 42 carried by support l2 and 'rod 43 may be slidably positioned within said sleeve. 44 may be pivotally connected at the upper end of rod 43, the opposite ends of said links being pivotally connected to members 45. Members 45 may be joined at a common pivot 46 and blades 41 may comprise extensions of said members. As shaft 38 rotates, lug 48 contacts pin 48 carried at 44 downwardly. The downward movement of linkages 45 causes rotation of members 41 to take place in shears fashion. Members 41 embrace the V-shaped web 33 and are positioned between draw-rolls H and discharge 35. When chains l9 stop, as has been hereinbefore described, the timing of the apparatus is so adjusted that lug 48 contacts pin 48 causing members 41 to come together. Said members may be sharpened and serve to sever the folded web 3. After lug 48 moves pin 48 downwardly and disengagement takes place, members 41 comprising the' shearsblades are returned to their normal position by; means of the compression spring 48 conflned be-- tween the pivot 46 and upper end of rod 43.

As can readily be seen a unit bag or receptacle 58 is provided which contains a predeten mined quantity of tea, said receptacle being supported by the opposed cup shaped members 33.

After the shears 41 operated to sever the folded web 3, chains l3 again resume their movement and the unit receptacle 58 is carried forwardlyby the opposed arms 29.

As the individual members 58 progress, forwardly, being carried by arms 23, the upper and lower edges of said receptacle are passed between fold, it is not necessary that the same be knurled or crimped in order to retain the edges in contact with each other. However, in view of the fact that the knurling or crimping of the upper edge shortens that edge, it is essential that the lower folded edge be similarly acted upon in order that the resulting container have opposite sides of equal length.

The bags or packages 58 carried by the members 33, after passing between the knurling or crimping rolls 5|, are passed in sequence beneath a sewing machine 54 mounted upon a suitable support 55. In passing beneath the machine 54 the upper knurled edges of the bag or package are stitched together as indicated at 56 in Fig. 1. In this manner both the upper and lower edges are confined or secured together, the lower edge being folded and the upper edge being stitched.

After stitching, the bags or packages are carried forwardly in sequence until they become positioned opposite arm 51 which projects upwardly from the machine. Each of the cup 76 shaped members 33 carried upon arms 29 upon one side of the machine carry four outwardly projecting lugs 58 which are positioned upon the outer face of the cup-shaped .member slightly removed from the comer thereof. As each of the arms 29 pass the upwardly projecting arm 51, said latter arm contacts a pin 58 adjacent the lower right hand comer of the cup-shaped member carried by the arm 29. All of the cup-shaped members 33 carry pintles 59 which are journalled bearings 60 provided at the ends of arms 29 so that said cup-shaped members will be rotatable upon said arms. Consequently, when the pin 58, hereinbefore mentioned, contacts arm 51, the cup-shaped members will be rotated through an angle of 90, thereby disposing the crimped opposite sides of the bag or package 50 vertical. If desired, a spring pressed ball GI may be carried by one of the arms 29 whereby the members 33 will be prevented from swinging 'too freely. It is to be understood, however, that other means may be provided for preventing undue rotation of the members 33.

After being rotated by arm 51 the member 33 carrying the bags or packages 50 pass a second knurling or crimping unit 62 which comprises an upper and lower pair of crimpingrolls 63, said rolls being geared together by gears 64 and being driven by sprocket chains 65 from a suitable source of power (not shown). The upper and lower edges of the packages 50 in passing through the crimping unit 62 are crimped or knurled as indicated at 66 in Fig. 1. The purpose of so crimping these edges of, the package is to prevent slipping or buckling of said edges during the subsequent sewing operation which will be hereinafter described. After the chain-like string 10 may thus be formed. While,

the machine 68 is thps forming the string 10, a tag H may be passed beneath the foot of the machine and may be secured to the end of the thereby causing the juxtaposed cup-shaped members 33 to separate, permitting the stitched bag 50 to be discharged therefrom.

It is to be understood that, the concept of or web of cellophane in the manner hereinbefore described, registcrable pairs of pieces of cellophane may be stamped and after the tea or the like has been inserted between said pieces of cellophane, the edges thereof may be mutually deformed or crimped as hereinbefore described and subsequently stitched.

I claim as my invention:

1. A method of packaging dry, loose material such as tea or the like which comprises, discharging a predetermined quantity of tea into a folded piece of cellophane, crimping opposite edges of said folded piece of cellophane including the folded edge thereof, sewing one of said crimped edges, rotating said folded cellophane, crimping the remaining opposite edges and sewing the same.

2. A method of packaging dry, loose material such as tea or the like in individual cellophane bags which comprises, folding a strip of cellophane longitudinally, discharging a predetermined quantity of said dry material into a portion of said folded strip, gripping that portion of the strip holding said material and severing the same from the strip, passing said gripped portion forwardly, crimping opposite edges of said forwardly carried portion, sewing one of said crimped edges, rotating said gripped portion through an angle of crimping the remaining opposite edges of said portion and sewing the same.

3. A method of packaging dry, loose material such as tea or the like which comprises, longitudinally folding an intermittently passing web of perforated cellophane, discharging a predetermined quantity of said material to be packaged into a portion of said folded web, gripping that portion of the web holding said material and 49 severing the same from the web, crimping opposed edges at opposite sides of said: folded portion including the folded edge thereof, stitching the crimped edges opposite said folded side, rotating said portion through an angle of 90, crimping 45 the remaining opposed edges and stitching the same.

4. A method of packaging dry, loose material such as tea or the like which comprises, longitudinally folding an intermittently passing web 5:)

of perforated cellophane so as to dispose the folded edge lowermost, discha g ng a predetermined quantity of said material into an endmost portion of said folded web, gripping that portion of the web holding said material, severing said portion from theweb proper to form a unit package, crimping the upper and lower edges of said package, stitching the upper crimped edge thereof, rotating said package through an angle of 90,

crimping the upper and lower edges of the ro- 60 tated package, and stitching said last mentioned crimped edges.

WILLIAM R. HOWARD. 

